USEFUL BUSINESS INFORMATION ON GERMANY

1. Country Brief

A. Introduction -  Located in central Europe, Germany is made up of the North German Plain, the Central German Uplands (Mittelgebirge), and the Southern German Highlands. The Bavarian plateau in the southwest averages 1,600 ft (488 m) above sea level, but it reaches 9,721 ft (2,962 m) in the Zugspitze Mountains, the highest point in the country. Germany's major rivers are the Danube, the Elbe, the Oder, the Weser, and the Rhine. Germany is about the size of Montana.

Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany , Religions: Protestant 34%, Roman Catholic 34%, Islam 4%, Unaffiliated or other 28%.

B. Climate -  Coastal regions of Germany have a temperate climate with warm summers and mild cloudy winters. Inland, the climate is more continental with warmer summers and colder winters. The Alpine and upland regions have cooler weather and more rain. Rain can be expected throughout the country all year round ,        

C. Geographical Area - Germany has the second largest population in Europe (after European Russia) and is seventh largest in area. The territory of Germany covers 357,021 square kilometres (137,850 sq mi), consisting of 349,223 square kilometres (134,835 sq mi) of land and 7,798 square kilometres (3,010 sq mi) of water.

Elevation ranges from the mountains of the Alps (highest point: the Zugspitze at 2,962 metres (9,718 ft)) in the south to the shores of the North Sea (Nordsee) in the north-west and the Baltic Sea (Ostsee) in the north-east. Between lie the forested uplands of central Germany and the low-lying lands of northern Germany (lowest point: Wilstermarsch at 3.54 metres (11.6 ft) below sea level), traversed by some of Europe's major rivers such as the Rhine, Danube and Elbe.[26] Because of its central location, Germany shares borders with more European countries than any other country on the continent. Its neighbours are Denmark in the north, Poland and the Czech Republic in the east, Austria and Switzerland in the south, France and Luxembourg in the south-west and Belgium and the Netherlands in the north-west. Land area: 135,236 sq mi (350,261 sq km); total area: 137,847 sq mi (357,021 sq km)

D. Language – German

E. Currency With Exchange Rate. - Germany Deutsche Marks (GDM)

1.00 DEM = 0.696105 USD

F. Population - (2006 est.): 82,422,299 (growth rate: –0.02%); birth rate: 8.2/1000; infant mortality rate: 4.1/1000; life expectancy: 78.8; density per sq mi: 609

G. Major Cities – Bamberg, Berlin, Cologne, Dresden, Frankfurt, Freiburg, im Breisgau, Hamburg, Heidelberg, Munich, Münster, Leipzig, Regensburg, Stuttgart

2. Transportation:

A. Railway - Total: 46,142 km (20,100 km electrified) (2004)

B. Road - Highways: total: 230,735 km; paved: 230,735 km (including 11,515 km of expressways); unpaved: 0 km (2002)

C. Airports – Total : 615

Airports with paved runways: Total: 320

Airports with unpaved runways: Total: 295

Heliports: 59 (1999 est.)

D. Waterways - 7,500 km (1999); note: Rhine River carries most goods; Main-Danube Canal links North Sea and Black Sea (2004). Ports and harbors: Bremen, Bremerhaven, Brunsbuttel, Duisburg, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Karlsruhe, Mainz, Rostock, Wilhemshaven

E. Sea ports - 

3. Economy

Economic summary GDP/PPP (2005 est.): $2.454 trillion; per capita $29,800. Real growth rate: 0.9%. Inflation: 2%. Unemployment: 11.6%. Arable land: 34%. Agriculture: potatoes, wheat, barley, sugar beets, fruit, cabbages; cattle, pigs, poultry. Labor force: 43.32 million; industry 33.4%, agriculture 2.8%, services 63.8% (1999). Industries: among the world's largest and most technologically advanced producers of iron, steel, coal, cement, chemicals, machinery, vehicles, machine tools, electronics, food and beverages, shipbuilding, textiles. Natural resources: iron ore, coal, potash, timber, lignite, uranium, copper, natural gas, salt, nickel, arable land. Exports: $1.016 trillion f.o.b. (2005 est.): machinery, vehicles, chemicals, metals and manufactures, foodstuffs, textiles. Imports: $801 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.): machinery, vehicles, chemicals, foodstuffs, textiles, metals. Major trading partners: France, U.S., UK, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Spain, China (2004).

A. Major Manufacturing: Machinery, chemicals, metals, foodstuff, textiles.

B. Major Export - Machinery, vehicles, chemicals, metals, foodstuffs, textiles.

C. Import –Machinery, vehicles, chemicals, foodstuffs, textiles, metals.

E. Major Industry - Among the world's largest and most technologically advanced producers of iron, steel, coal, cement, chemicals, machinery, vehicles, machine tools, electronics, food and beverages, shipbuilding, textiles.

F. Trade balance - In 2005 Germany exported goods worth 786,1 billion Euros.

Altogether the balance of trade closed with a surplus of 160,5 billion Euros. Compared with 2004 when trade surplus was only at 156.1 billion Euros it is a plus of 7.5%. The balance of activities under regard of services was about 90,4 billon Euros. The imports to Germany also grew about 8.7% to 625,6 billion Euros.

Germany is for this reason 3 times in succession the "world champion of export".

4. Trade Associations, Chamber of Commerce, Trade shows and Exhibitions in Germany:

Major Trade Assocations

The German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA)

Address: Westendstraße 61,

D-60325 Frankfurt/M, Germany

Telephone: +49.69.97507-0

Fax: +49.69.97507-261

www.vda.de

Chambers of Commerce

Indo-German Chamber of Commerce

Deutsch-Indische Handelskammer

Citadellstrasse 12, 40213, Düsseldorf

Germany

Tel: 0049-211-360597 - 98 / 362749

Fax: 0049-211-350287

E-mail: [email protected]

Website: www.indo-german.com

British Chamber of Commerce in Germany

Französische Str.48, D 10117

Berlin, Germany

Tel.  (+49) (0)30 20 67 080

Fax: (+49) (0)30 20 67 08 29 

Major Trade Shows

A) INTERPART 2007

Venue:

Messe Karlsruhe

Festplatz 9

76137 Karlsruhe

Germany

Tel: 49 721 3720-0

Fax: 49 721 3720-2106

Event Dates

Oct. 09 - 11, 2007  in Karlsruhe (Germany) 

Description

Business Meeting Place for Manufacturers and Subcontractors of the Automotive and Machine Construction Industries in South Germany

Organizers

K & R Media GmbH & Co. KG

Kaiserstr. 142 - 144

D - 76133 Karlsruhe

Germany

Tel: 49 (0) 721 57 04 44 10

Fax: +49 (0) 721 57 04 44 22

Web Site: www.kundrmedia.de

B) ABF 2008

Venue

Deutsche Messe Hannover

Messegelände

D-30521 Hannover

Germany

Te: 49 (0)511 89 3 80 11/12

Fax: 49 (0)511 89 3 80 03

Web Site: www.messe.de

Event Dates

Jan. 26 - Feb. 03, 2008 in Hannover (Germany) 

Description

Automotive, Boating and Recreation Exhibition

Organizers

Fachausstellungen Heckmann

Hohenzollernstr. 4

30161 Hannover

Germany

Tel: 49 (0)511 9 90 95-0

Fax: 49 (0)511 9 90 95-50

Web Site: www.heckmanngmbh.de

Deutsche Messe AG Hannover

Messegelände

D-30521 Hannover

Germany

Tel: 49 (0)511 89 0

Fax: 49 (0)511 89 32626

Web Site: http://www.messe.de/homepage_e

5. Useful links

German Importers, Dealers of Japanese Used Cars, Construction Machinery & Auto Parts